Warrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Csargo]

I was just wonder how do you usually go into wars? Do you attack just off of a whim? Do make plans and make sure everything planned as best as you can? Do you just throw a bunch of soldiers at the enemy and hope you win? Or do you do something else? Just though I'de ask this.

I usually make plans and make sure I will most likely win the war.

[Craterus]

I think everyone here plans their strategies before putting them into action. Only real fans would join a forum. And real fans know how to play the game, to some degree.

[Martok]

Yeah, I think it's safe to say most of here plan ahead and map out a general strategy for when conducting a war against someone. At least, I know for sure I do that.

Of course, there's always exceptions to this rule. If a faction that I'm not on very friendly terms with suddenly leaves a couple juicy provinces underdefended, for instance, I'm probably not going to hesitate to invade those territories with whatever troops I can quickly scrape together. Or if a bordering ally comes under siege, I'll try to send an army to help him out if I can.

Other than situations like that, however, I always ready my faction for war before launching myself at an enemy. If nothing else, I'm too anal-retentive to just throw a bunch of units willy-nilly into a conflict.

[Craterus]

When something unexpected happens and I think I can take advantage of it, I'll definitely scrape together what I can and try to take the province. I would always assess if my force was capable before invading the province though.

[Joshwa]

I normally only attack out of the blue if the computer is getting too powerful and needs knocking down a peg or two, or if a province is part of my grand plan, not really oppertunistically. I like to perform quick strikes to decapitate my enemy, for instance, engaging in a naval war with france when their king was overseas in the hope of setting off a civil war. Im having great fun setting off Muslim revolts in Spain as the Almohads at the moment as well.

[ShadesWolf]

It really would depend on what part of the game I was in and if I already was at war.

I always tended to declare war within my first two or three moves of a game and claim some quick land.

If it was later in the game then it would be a planned exercise.

[Ciaran]

It´s the other way round for me, in the beginning I try and make as many alliances as possible and avoid attacking other factions (rebels, of course are free game). Usually the first wars I fight aren´t started by me. The more the game progresses, however, the more agressive my strategy becomes.

[King Kurt]

I tend to plan to attack a prime target, but also I tend to try and keep alliances and attack historic enemies. Often I end up at war with people who attack me. My recent Byzantine campaign which I won at 100% - and was well infront on GA - was over by 1315 and the only people I invaded - as opposed to responding to me being attacked - were the Muslim nations and rebels.
In war I like to hit hard, pause then eradicate. I like to King hunt for the money and to provoke civil war. I also like to bribe when possible.

[Peasant Phill]

I always conquer some provinces as soon as possible to get in a better position (borderwise or economical). From then on I always set back and develope some core provinces. I only fight when attacked, apart from the occasional crusade, but if they bother me to much I eradicate that faction completely or to its final province ( an island if possible).

If I attack I do try to plan it as much as possible by choosing an appropriate tactic to counter the enemy and forming my army accordingly.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I attack if the nation controls important provinces resource or building wise, I need to control at least some of it to attack someone else, or I'm getting really bored, need generals to train, or have huge armies just sitting there more or less without purpose, and I need to get them easy battle experience. In the last case, I'll usually attack fairly easily defeated countries.

[Knight Templar]

I plan and prepare for attack; if facing very strong and powerful enemy I start to prepare even 15-20 years earlier. There are some excptions- in the beggining of the game (for ex. taking Syria as Egyptians in the second turn), when invading crappy faction with 1-2 provinces and army of 200 men. And of course, when helping allies when besieged.

[professorspatula]

I tend to be a cautious player and do not go to war on a whim. I like a strong infrastructure and plenty of troops in reserve to reinforce any armies I do send into enemy territory. I probably give the AI more chance than it deserves, but it keeps things interesting I suppose. I also like to be as certain as I can be that if I go to war, that any provences I take I can keep. I don't like the idea of capturing then losing a provence and seeing the technology there being knocked back to something resembling the stone-age. This limits the profits I make, but I suppose on smaller unit size settings, it's less of an issue as upkeep is far less.

[ShadesWolf]

It´s the other way round for me, in the beginning I try and make as many alliances as possible and avoid attacking other factions (rebels, of course are free game). Usually the first wars I fight aren´t started by me. The more the game progresses, however, the more agressive my strategy becomes.

What you will find in most cases is that the other factions leader is either in the next province to you are very close. So a quick attack can land you his head and either his faction becomes rebel or you gain a few province before they ask for peace.

[Duke Malcolm]

If I find a few handy units of mine next to a foreign province that I know will not be a problem, then I happily go to war on a whim.

Erstwhile, I like to ensure that if my first attack fails, then I have a second assault to give another attack and to prevent the foreigners from successfully counter-attacking.

[Scurvy]

i normally "build" 2 armies, and have one attack a province each year and the other occupy it the next until iv gone as far as i can safely go, its not exactly tactical, but good fun...

[jadast]

I have a plan but it seldom lasts. I have often built up to one front only to be attacked on another. This I find to be the funnest times to fight. I love scraping together what I can to hold the borders until help arrives.

[Reverend Joe]

I always take forever to plan and prepare. I really have to be so methodical, because I am an absolutely lowsy battlefield commander, the approximate equivalent of Dariush III; I can make and follow through on basic plans, but I quickly fold in the face of crisis.

[mfberg]

If I want to go to war I will build up an army in my second line, wait for the attack that is sure to come in my first line, and counterattack through my original lines into all the lands I want to take.

mfberg

[Martok]

I always take forever to plan and prepare. I really have to be so methodical, because I am an absolutely lowsy battlefield commander, the approximate equivalent of Dariush III; I can make and follow through on basic plans, but I quickly fold in the face of crisis.

LOL. I know how you feel Zorba; I'm only a very mediocre commander myself. I'm maybe not *quite* as exacting as you are when it comes to preparing my nation for war, but I'm probably pretty close. I'm not so precise that I go, "As soon as this last unit of Chivalric Seargents is trained and deployed, I'll attack." For me, it's usually more like I build up for a while and then say to myself, "Well I think I'm about ready now. Let's go!"

[littlebktruck]

Being a rather poor commander myself, I know how it is. Most of the time, by the end of the campaign I don't fight many battles. I just spam huge stacks and send them at all comers.

[Mooks]

I like to blitzkreig. Blitzkreiging through russia and germany is the best, you overpower the enemy in the first wave but cut off their retreat...So you either ransom the soldiers back or kill them all. I once cut the hungarians to next to nothing after they attacked me (Danes)..I think it was before 1205 and I had to kill 4000 troops with 9 nobles. (Mercs help also)

Mithrandir: Edited language